Trumpet of the Swan Review

Trumpet of the Swan by E.B White

Summary:

Although he lacks a voice in the traditional "Ko-hoh!" sense, trumpeter swan Louis learns to speak to the world with a trumpet stolen from a music store by his father. With the support of an unusual boy named Sam, who helps Louis learn how to read and write, the swan has some rather unswanlike adventures as he tries to earn the money to pay back the trumpet, determined to bring his father out of shame from stealing it and causing a lot of damage. Louis's hard work brought him knowledge of the world around him and the love of traveling to different places. With love constantly on his mind he ultimately wins the heart--and the freedom--of a beautiful swan named Serena.
For over 30 years, E.B. White's masterpiece has captured the fancy of countless readers. Now, with stunning new art by award-winning illustrator Fred Marcellino, the beloved story can be experienced anew. The sepia-colored drawings lend an old-fashioned charm to the story--it's almost as if, with their complementary dry wit and uniquely creative talents, White and Marcellino originally worked together.

Our Opinion:

What a great book! It has been awhile since I have read this book, so I am glad that we picked it up and read it again. We love to read the classics. This story has such a good message in it. Even though Louis was born without a voice, he did not let it stop him from doing the things that he wanted to do in his life. He learned how to read and write. He got several jobs so he could earn money to pay off the trumpet that has helped him so much. He flies around with several things around his neck. A chalk pencil and chalk board, a bag of money, his trumpet (which he cleaned often and took really good care of), and a medal for saving a child's life. He was an amazing character who showed determination and strength. Without having a voice he knew he would have a hard time finding a mate, but with his sweet sounding trumpet, and his gift of music, he woos her. This story is filled with hope and determination, adventure and devotion. We absolutely loved it.

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins; Collectors edition (October 3, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0064408671
ISBN-13: 978-0064408677

Content is appropriate for children of all ages. Cleanly written.

Shiawasee Fairground Festival

This weekend during July 24th, 25th & 26th, I am going to be selling my books at the Shiawasee County Fairgrounds for the Train Festival in Durand and Owosso. This is such a big event. Literally thousands of people come to it every year. I am in a group of vendors at the fairgrounds. On July 25th they are going to be having an arabian horse show for free. So come on down and say hello.

Miss L'eau by T. Katz

Today I am reviewing a book called Miss L'eau by T. Katz. This story is about two kids who are inspired by their teacher (and her unusual connection to the sea) to organize an Annual Clean-up event and hope to encourage kids everywhere to follow their lead of conservation and preservation.

Summary:

James and David had always known there was something unusual about their elementary school teacher, Miss L'eau, but they could never quite put their finger on it. David discovered their first clue, was in her eyes-- Miss L'eau had the most unusual pair of eyes! She wore glasses when she taught, but when she had to deal with just you--she would lean over your desk, move her glasses down to the end of her nose . . . and there they were! Miss L'eau's eyes were as blue-green as the sea, and if you could get up the courage to stare right into them, you'd swear you could see angel fish, sea plants, coral beds and even sea anemones! It was the most wonderful, yet frightening, experience when she would talk to you face-to-face. The boys lived their whole lives near the ocean, but never thought about how important it was or how vulnerable it might be. Through Miss L'eau, and her unexpected relationship to the sea, they develop a love and understanding of the ocean and become involved with the nearby aquarium and organize an annual clean-up.

My Review:

Miss L'eau is a great book that helps remind everyone how important the earth we live on, is. It always baffles me when we drive along dirt roads, or walk them, and see bottles and garbage in the woods. Who throws that out a window, honestly? Many times my mother and I have grabbed garage bags and cleaned up the mess on our walk. In college I was apart of clean up crews for a particular science class, to pick up garbage along a riverbank. In an Environmental Science class that I was involved in teaching, we made the students walk up and down both sides of the street near the school to pick up garbage. Several students were holding garbage bags and the rest of the students were filling them. If anything was learned from the experince, I hope the children were disgusted enough to realize that garbage has a place and it is not on the side of the road or on riverbanks.

Sometimes it is the small things we do that can make a big difference. It is not just our actions that we must think about, but the effect that our actions have on someone or something else. That is the point that Miss L'eau tries to make to her students as a teacher. She taught them about the environment and about animals and the sea. She wanted her students to care enough about something to want to do something about it, and they did. Some of Miss L'eau's beliefs was that the world shouldn't just focus on the big environmental problems that happen occassionally, but on the little ones that can effect our local areas everyday. It is a daily battle. T. Katz does a great job getting that point across and informing children that they can make a difference in the world, all they need is the desire to do it.

Even in our homes we can make a difference, using environmentally safe products instead of ones that can pollute the water, air or landfills. Granted, there are more expensive then the cheap brand, but if you shop at the right places, including on-line, you can get them for cheaper, that's what I do. Just cleaning up the roads or lakes near your home can make a difference. Recycling in our schools and in businesses and so on. No effort is too small. My boys and I every spring clean up the wooded lot across from our house. It took some time but it was worth the effort because we now have a view of beautiful green trees and berry bushes, instead of garbage.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed the story of Miss L'eau. The passion that T. Katz has for the sea and the mysteries in it, is apparent throughout the story. I like the fact that there was so much information to take away and use in our own lives, regardless if we live near an ocean or not. The moral of the story is, all life is important no matter how big or small, and everyone can make a difference in their communities to create a better world for all.

Miss L'eau is avalable at Amazon.com

It is rated for pre-teens.

It is catogorized as a fiction/fantasy.

It is cleanly written and is appropriate for pre-teens of all ages.

Priced at around $10.99

Was an easy read and can be finished in one sitting.

Has 58 pages.

Can be used in a classroom setting or in a homeschool setting to supplement a science curriculum when talking about oceans or the environment. Below is some related information that might be helpful. Check out author's website for more information and other activities. http://www.tkatz.com/

To organize your OWN clean-up, here are some suggestions to get you started by T. Katz:

Contact your local City Hall office and tell them about your clean-up plans. They can offer you all of the advice you need on how and where to work in your community and tell you if you need special permission or paperwork to get started.

--Call your local transportation (buses, highways)office and ask if you can borrow their safety vests for your volunteers to use during your event.

--Make sure to tell your neighborhood trash service about your plans -- they can arrange to pick-up your trash bags at the end of your event.

--For more information about how to organize your own clean-up and what you will need, visit authors website at http://www.missleau.com/Get_Involved.html she has lots of great information to help everyone with this endeavor.

WATERCONSERVATION / PRESERVATION

www.projectaware.org/kids/

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/

http://www.worldaquarium.net/

http://www.dfto.org/

http://www.surfrider.org/

http://www.oceanminded.com/

http://www.wildcoast.net/

http://www.malibufoundation.org/

http://www.oceanwatch.org/

http://www.saveourseas.org/

http://www.cleanoceanaction.org/

Interview for New Computer Workbooks with Jacqui Murray

Joining us today is Jacqui Murray, editor of computer tech workbooks. We’re going to talk to Jacqui about this new series and how parents or teachers can use these workbooks in their homeschool or classroom setting.

Welcome, Jacqui. It’s great to have you with us.

Thanks, Renee. It's my pleasure.


Please tell our readers a bit about yourself.

I was born in Berkley California to Irish-German parents. After receiving a BA in Economics, another in Russian and an MBA, I spent twenty years in a variety of industries while raising two children and teaching evening classes at community colleges. Now, with my daughter an officer in the Navy and my son ready to graduate, I've decided to give back to the community that has given me so much and take up teaching full time. I work with children ages five through ten, showing them the magic of technology while pursuing my second passion, writing. I live in Laguna Hills CA with my husband, adult son and two beautiful Labradors.

How did your writing career begin?

I guess, like so many writers, I've wanted to write since I was young, but family responsibilities took priority until recently. My first book, Building a Midshipman: How to Crack the United States Naval Academy Application, was inspired by my daughter's experience getting into the US Naval Academy--from the parent's perspective.


Tell us about the workbooks and how they can be used.

Because I have taught technology to youngsters for so many years, I was asked to edit a series of six K-5 technology workbooks. Geared for parents and homeschoolers, they provide a year's-worth of age-appropriate computer lessons at each grade level that meet or exceed national standards like ISTE. Each includes thirty-two multimedia projects in programs such as MS Word, Publisher, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Earth, keyboarding, computer hardware, vocabulary, as well as training on how to solve the most common computer problems faced by kids as they learn technology. Their unique combination of projects and skills, introduced according to a proven timetable, enable me to morph the thousands of students I teach from computer novice to accomplished in six years. Every year, I hear over and over from parents how even their second graders are now independent in their computer work--showing their parents how to do skills. I include step-by-step lesson plans with examples and reproducibles, homework for grades 3-5, an extensive list of age-appropriate edutainment websites, vocabulary builders and collaborations with classroom units of inquiry

What workbooks are best for homeschoolers and which ones are best for teaching in a larger classroom?

These six workbooks, Fifth Technology: 32 Lessons that every Fifth Grader can do (one each for grades K through five) are perfect for homeschooling and parents who want to extend their child's education. My two newest workbooks, 55 Technology Projects for the Digital Classroom: Everything you need to integrate computers into K-8 classes, Volumes 1 and 2 (available on Amazon in August 2009), are geared for a classroom teacher or a lab professional.

What age groups are they for?

The 32 Lesson series is for grade kindergarten through fifth grade. The 55 Technology Projects volumes are for kindergarten through eighth grade.

You are the editor of these workbooks, what led you to be involved with this series?

The publisher asked me to help them provide computer training manuals for younger children. I had been in the process of putting my lesson plans in some sort of organized fashion so I could share them with colleagues, so the timing was perfect.

You are not only an editor but an author as well. Tell us about the books that you have written.

Yes. After the success of my how-to book Building a Midshipman: How to Crack the USNA Application, I turned to my second passion: fiction. My first fiction novel, To Hunt a Sub is a techno-thriller about nefarious characters using brainy science to steal America's Trident submarines and how an equally-brainy female grad student stops them. It won the Southern California Writers Conference Outstanding Fiction Award last year and is in the final stages of rewrite. I have an excerpt available on Scribd.com.

For homeschool parents, such as myself, we are always looking for the best curriculums, workbooks and subjects to best teach our children. What makes your workbooks stand out from the rest?

I'm glad you asked that question because, they absolutely do stand out. They start kids in kindergarten with age-appropriate and challenging skills in programs such as keyboarding and KidPix, and that wonderful online reading site, Starfall.com. By fifth grade, after following the logical progression presented in the series, kids are photo-editing in Adobe Photoshop, creating professional world tours in Google Earth and sharing ideas on education-safe wikis. By the time I send them to sixth grade, they're ready to use technology as an equal partner in their education.

Do you have a website and/or blog where readers can find out more?

I don't have my own website, though lots more information (including freebies from the workbooks) is available on the publisher's site, StructuredLearning.net. I have a blog with loads of free lessons and tips at Ask A Tech Teacher (AskATechTeacher.wordpress.com). I take questions from readers and detail skills they'd like to learn so you're likely to get almost anything on my blog.

Where can readers purchase your books as well as the workbooks?

Books are available on Amazon.com and the publisher's website (www.structuredlearning.net). The ebooks are available on Scribd.com.

What's next for you? Is there anything else that you are involved in?

I'm pretty busy right now getting my two-volume technology integration books out and finishing up the rewrites for To Hunt a Sub. When those are completed, I will continue to do whatever I can to breach the barriers that prevent technology from being available to all children's education. It's too important; kids should be involved in it at as early an age as possible.


Is there anything else that you would like to add or share?

I've enjoyed the opportunity to interact with you and your readers. Please feel free to send me any questions, ideas, your own tips, either through my publisher at jacqui.murray@structuredlearning.net or through my blog. I love helping parents and kids make technology part of their education toolkit.


Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to our readers today. Good luck in all of your future endeavors. Please check out these wonderful workbooks. I know that I will.

New Children's Book Posting

A posting about my new children's series is currently available on the following link. Please check it out.

http://worddreams.wordpress.com/2009/07/17/our-featured-author-renee-hand/

New Computer Workbooks

Today I am posting information about some new computer workbooks that I have had the pleasure of learning about.

Here is the editor of those workbooks-Jacqui Murray. Towards the end of July I will be interviewing her about these workbooks and about her other accomplishments. Will post more about that soon.





Here's a summary of the K-5 workbooks:

A year's-worth of age-appropriate computer lessons--32 multimedia projects--in MS Word, Publisher, Excel (starts in third grade), (PowerPoint finishes up in fourth grade) Photoshop (fifth grade only), Google Earth, keyboarding, computer parts, vocabulary, and solving the most common problems faced on the computer. The unique combination of projects and skills, introduced according to a proven timetable, morph a student from computer novice to enthusiast. No other technology learning system has been tested in more circumstances, with more teacher experience levels, from home schooling to running a computer lab. You'll find step-by-step lesson plans and a year's worth of homework (third-fifth only), enhanced with the most popular internet edutainment sites, examples of completed work, vocabulary builders and collaborations with classroom curriculum that meet and exceed ISTE, NCLB and most state elementary school technology standards--all done by providing a sense of wonder along the way and achievement at the end. This is a six-volume technology training series for kindergarten through fifth grade. During these years, students learn tens of hundreds of computer skills while exploring math, science, literature, grammar, spelling, problem-solving, critical thinking. See the publisher's website for free downloads and more details.

Age group: 5-10

Price range:

$18.99 (K-1), $22.99 (2-5)--hardcopy on Amazon.com or publisher's website $11.97 for workbook ebooks (available on Scribd.com) Available: ebooks (Scribd.com), hard copy (Amazon.com) http://structuredlearning.net/freebies.html Press link for sample:
Scribd.com for books.

Here's a summary of the Project bundles (ages 5-12): What's included in each bundle:· Five to eight technology-specific step-by-step lessons, including reproducibles, grading rubrics, sample projects, extensions for advanced students and troubleshooting tips·

Next-day delivery via email in the universally-readable .pdf format·

How projects integrate technology into your curriculum whether you're the classroom teacher, the lab teacher or home-schooling your child·

A summary of each project, suggested grade level and prior knowledge, time required, software required, and projects that should be completed prior to this one·

A summary of which higher-order thinking skills and which NETS-S technology-specific skills are covered

Age group: 5-14

Price range: $1.97 for individual lesson plans (only ebooks on Scribd.com) $1.97-9.99 for single or bundled themed lesson plans (only ebooks on Scribd.com and Publisher website)

Available: ebooks (Scribd.com) or Publisher website

Please feel free to comment on the workbooks. They are a really useful tool I think all parents are going to use and love in their homeschool curriculum. Check it out. Coming soon will be the author's interview.

Library Speaking Event

On Wednesday July 15th at 4:00pm I, (Renee Hand) am going to be at the Genesee District Library for a discussion with children of the ages 11-17 about how to become a better writer. I am excited about this. If anyone has a chance to come, please do. It is a free discussion to participate in. So far I have spoken to a lot of talented writers. I hope everyone has enjoyed the discussion so far. See you there. For more events check out the on-line calender at the Genesee District Library. Thanks!

New Product Review

My children and I love to play games. Card games and board games, especially educational learning games, we love them all. The game I am reviewing is a card game. What is so great about this game, is that children of all ages can play it. My youngest is 4 and he has fun coming up with great ideas on how to tell the story. Granted, his version is not exactly the same as everyone else's, but I think it is part of the fun, at least he tries to follow along.

The Storybook Game™

The Storybook Game™ is a never-ending story told differently every time. Children create a unique story, one card at a time, memorizing the cards as they are played. Lunch box tin contains 54 illustrated cards and instructions. The game is by Fundex Games and is for children the ages of 4 and up. It is also for 2 or more players. The cost of it is around $6.95, depending on where you go. The game can be found in Target as well as in various other places, including educational stores.

This game travels easily. We take it with us in the car when we go on vacation.We have also taken it with us into resteraunts to entertain everyone as we were waiting for our meal. The cards are contained in a cute little tin which can be reused. Because I love to write, this game is great in trying to come up with a storyline quickly using pictures of things that we might not ordinarily use. For example, how would you write a story concerning a cat, a comb and a piano? My point exactly, and yet in a pinch a story is created that makes everyone laugh and shake their heads. The games last around 10-15 minutes.

I have used this game in many ways to challenge my children's thinking. I have let them choose several cards from the deck to write about, coming up with various storylines and scenarios. Their imaginations are just amazing and this game is a great way to kick start creativity.

GAME GIVEAWAY!!!

If anyone wants to participate in the giveaway to receive this game, you will need to join my blog and when ready, send your child's story to me at thecryptocapersseries@gmail.com.

Below are 9 cards of random pictures from the game. You must create a story from those pictures. The best one will be posted here on my blog and at several different locations, giving the writer tons of exposure for their creativity. Participants must be children, no adults please. The giveaway will last until August 1st. Then a winner will be chosen and posted. If anyone has any other games that they would like to share, please do! I am always looking for new games to enjoy.

Today's Library Discussion

Tonight at 7:00pm I, (Renee Hand) am going to be at the Flushing Library in downtown Flushing for a discussion with children of the ages 11-17 about how to become a better writer. I am excited about this. If anyone has a chance to come, please do. It is a free discussion to participate in. See you there. For more events check out the on-line calender at the Genesee District Library. I will be at three other libraries throughout the month of July. Thanks!

Cryptograms from blog tour

I almost forgot. Here are all of the cryptograms from my book tour stops. If anyone has been keeping track and would like to solve them they will get a special prize. Good luck and here they are:

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OPR JDLR DM NRTSOU XTBOQ OD NR NDWV BV OPR PRTWO DM RLRWU APBJH.

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CQCWG OZEI KWNYXY RADYC RAZEKY RANR NWC ODYR MDOODE, YFMA NY UCZEK, DEC, NEI KDDI.

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